Atlantic Lithium halts work on Ewoyaa project in Ghana after fatal accident

Atlantic Lithium has halted activity at its Ewoyaa lithium project in Ghana following a fatal accident earlier this week.

According to the Australian company, authorities have been notified and an investigation is underway to establish the circumstances that led to the incident.

“The Board of Atlantic Lithium Limited is deeply saddened to report that a member of our workforce was fatally injured yesterday in an incident whilst working at the Company’s Ewoyaa Lithium Project site in Mankessim, in Ghana’s Central Region.

“Site activities have been suspended and we will provide additional updates as appropriate. The appropriate authorities have been notified and an investigation is underway to establish the circumstances that led to the incident, with Senior Executive Leadership on site to support this process. The Company commits to implementing relevant learnings from the investigation into the Company’s health and safety protocols and practices thereafter,” the statement read.

“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with our teammate’s family, friends and colleagues; we offer our full support at this difficult time,” it added.

Ewoyaa is set to become Ghana’s first lithium operation, after Atlantic secured a 15-year permit for the project in October last year.

Half of the lithium produced at Ewoyaa will be sent to a refinery of US-based Piedmont Lithium, which is Atlantic’s second-largest shareholder and has agreed to provide most of the funds for building the mine.

Atlantic aims to produce a total of 3.6 million tonnes of spodumene concentrate, or 350,000 tonnes annually, over 12 years from the site. That would make it the world’s 10th-largest lithium project, according to the company.

Shares of Atlantic Lithium fell 5% by 5 p.m. BST. The lithium developer has a market capitalization of £123 million ($156 million).